Posted on : 2026-07-13 17:20 KST Modified on : 2026-07-13 17:32 KSTOn the 65th anniversary of the signing of the friendship treaty between their two countries, Beijing and Pyongyang seemed to signal closer relations going forward
North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported on July 12, 2026, that Premier Pak Thae-song (left) had attended an event at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People welcoming a North Korean delegation. (KCNA/Yonhap)
North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song wrapped up a three-day visit to China for the 65th anniversary of the signing of the North Korea-China friendship treaty on Sunday after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. The trajectory of North Korea-China relations suggests that China will seek to further strengthen its influence on the Korean Peninsula, while Pyongyang is likely to leverage closer ties with Beijing to advance its economic and trade interests.North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday that talks during Pak’s visit encompassed issues of “expanding and developing exchange and cooperation in all spheres according to the agreement reached by the top leaders of the DPRK and China at the historic Pyongyang summit,” which took place in June. China’s Xinhua News also reported that Li noted that “China is ready to align development strategies with the DPRK, steadily expand economic and trade exchanges, promote connectivity, deepen cooperation in people’s livelihood sectors including healthcare and education, and improve the well-being of the two people.” The North Korean delegation received a warm welcome, as seen in how Pak joined Li when inspecting the honor guard of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Pak was treated as a state guest after arriving in Beijing on Friday, holding separate meetings with Xi and Zhao Leji, the third-ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. The fact that China’s top leadership held back-to-back meetings with Pak suggests an effort to accelerate the implementation of agreements reached during last month’s North Korea-China summit. Issues such as group tours by Chinese tourists to the Kalma tourist zone in Wonsan and the opening of the New Yalu River Bridge are thought to have been discussed. According to Chinese reports, during his meeting with Li, Pak conveyed a message from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressing a desire to develop North Korea-China relations into a powerful and strategic relationship. Pak also reportedly emphasized that North Korea would firmly support China in safeguarding its core interests, including on issues such as Taiwan. However, North Korean media did not report these remarks. Kim and Xi strengthened strategic communication by exchanging congratulatory messages for the anniversary of the friendship treaty. “The DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations [. . .] are now developing at a new strategic level and making a great contribution to firmly protecting the sovereignty, security and development interests of the two countries and defending peace and stability in the region and the rest of the world under the complicated international situation,” Kim wrote in his message. Xi, meanwhile, wrote that the “determination to safeguard the common interests of both [North Korea and China] and maintain a favorable strategic environment will remain unchanged.”
